Lots of cobwebs encountered. After weeks of humidity, the cold front finally passed, and the day was dry and much cooler (high 70's) then the two training runs I had done out there the week before. Here is the tracker link https://share.garmin.com/OWVU8, The Garmin watch seemed to upload weird so the track looks off but the track is visible on the tracker link. This is the route that Adam and Ryan established. We hiked until nearly 8:00 P.M. tackling Puzzle Mountain and Long Mountain on the way. The MapShare site shows the progress of someone tracking with an inReach satellite communicator. This trip merely wet our appetite for more hiking. That allowed us to fill all of our water bladders and bottles. The Grafton Loop Trail (GTL) is located on both sides of Route 26 and links with the AT on Baldpate Mountain and on Old Speck. Grafton Notch Loop (ME) Route variation. MATC maintains the trail east of Route 26, including four designated campsites. Portions of the trail traverse both Maine’s Grafton Notch State Park as well as a good deal of private land. On Sunday, July 6, 2014, Ryan Welts and I (Adam Wilcox) ran the entire route in 9:29:30. My Trail Story - Jeff Garmire Sets the Fastest Known Time ... A Real Adventure: Sorting Out All the F.K.T… (Photo: Courtesy CamelBak) Martin Fritz Huber. Episode 90: Tim Mills: News from across the pond - the British FKT scene explained . With nearly 13,000 feet of elevation gain on rugged (rocks and roots) trails in extraordinary summer heat, this was not easy. Length: 38.6 milesLocation: Western Maine on the ridges and peaks surrounding the Bear River Valley, Grafton Notch, and Maine Route 26Trail Type: LoopScenery: Forests and brooks with small waterfalls give way to numerous open summits with views across western Maine’s rugged mountains, especially the Mahoosuc Range, and into New Hampshire to the Presidential RangeApproximate Time to Hike: Most can comfortably fi… Given the pandemic and the late start (or no start) to this year’s trail maintenance program, there was lots of blowdown and overgrowth. Few wet spots. The eastern half of the GLT consists of a 21-mile arc that leaves Route 26 in Newry, Maine, and returns to the road in Grafton Notch State Park via four miles on Appalachian Trail (AT). We just wanted to do it before sunset. The goal was to get down to the notch by 2:00 P.M. so that we could manage the drive home and have it not be too late. Bald Mt Campsite to Sargent Mt Campsite 3.4 mi Hiking the Arizona Trail – An Overview. All of the campsites appear to have bearboxes, outhouses and usable water sources. Close to the Sunday River ski area in western Maine near the New Hampshire border, it generally follows the mountain ridge lines that surround Grafton Notch and the Bear River Valley, passing over the summits of Old Speck, the Baldpates, and Sunday River White Cap. We only saw a handful of backpackers doing the entire loop. The Grafton Loop Trail, in the Mahoosucs Range of Western Maine, is one of the newest major trails to be built in New England. Arizona Trail (AZT) Resupply Guide; Gear Reviews. The Appalachian Mountain Club maintains the trail west of Route 26, also including four designated campsites. FKT Report: Swan Song Loop in New Hampshire by Ben Nephew. The Grafton Notch Loop is one of those routes that's been on my radar for quite some time but never seemed to slot well into my schedule. Back then, we started at the state park at the northern end of the notch where the trail crosses Route 26, and went clockwise finishing with the ascent/descent of 4,170 foot Old Speck Mountain. Home | Fastest Known Time. Sun, 10/07/2018 - 08:26pm, I lowered the time today (10/7/18) to 8:17. One neat thing, and probably due to the extreme heat, is that the wild blueberries were already ripe. We did bump into a fellow AMC volunteer by the name of Bill who we have met before. That demonstrates how much has changed in a dozen years. All of our gear worked out great. All Posts Advice AT Bloggers CDT Bloggers Featured Gear Inspiration News PCT Bloggers Podcasts Thru-Hiking Culture Trail Profile. Email Subscription. We made a pitstop in Chatham to visit our longtime friends Ann and Rich Fargo. They come with practice. From there, we spent the better part of the hot day climbing Old Speck. Gear Reviews, or FKT, became the quest year, Steve and Deb Pero et al also did whole! 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